It is common to provide running boards on pick-up trucks, sport utility vehicles, and other types of vehicles where it is desirable to provide the user with ease of entry into the cabin of the vehicle. It is also advantageous to provide a sidestep near the rear of the running board that assists in easy access to a toolbox that may be located in the bed of the pick-up truck. Traditionally, running boards are located inward towards the side of the vehicle. The problem though is that they do not provide a solid surface for the user to stand on while accessing the toolbox.
It is also common to provide roof racks on minivans, SUVs and sport wagons and to secure bicycles, skis, kayaks, canoes, boats, or even sport boxes to the roof of these vehicles. A recurring problem though is accessing these items once they are secured to the vehicle. Traditional running boards however, don't provide easy access to the roof or anything secured thereto.
It is known to provide steps to provide access to a tailgate area of a pick-up truck. However, currently there are no retractable step products that are simple in design yet provide ease of access to the toolbox that is located in the bed of a truck. Rear access via the tailgate is often awkward and more time consuming if quick and simple access is required to the side of a box for replacement of tools. Further, toolboxes are generally located in the front area of the truck bed and, because typical running boards do not extend rearward enough, they do not provide ease of access to the forward part of a truck bed. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a sidestep located near the front end of the truck bed, or where the toolbox is located. It would also be desirable to provide an after market sidestep that can be connected to an existing running board. It would also be desirable to provide a sidestep as an OEM product for use in connection with an existing running board. It would also be desirable to provide an extended tube style board with a rotatable wider rear section that when rotated out, provides a wider step surface that is positioned further outward than the typical tube style running board. It is also desirable to provide a sidestep that provides ample foot contact area as well as step height so as to meet typical OEM requirements for ergonomics.
It is also desirable to provide a sidestep that provides easy access to a toolbox that is simple in design, easy to operate, and has minimal working components, and is economic and ergonomic. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved retractable sidestep which overcomes the above referenced disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved sidestep that can rotate out from a stowed position to a deployed position thus allowing the user to have an improved standing surface when accessing the top of the roof or a toolbox that is located in the bed of a truck.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sidestep assembly comprised of a step positioned adjacent to the running board. A latch mechanism is provided that is located within the step and said mechanism is operable to lock the step in a stowed position or to be released to allow the step to be repositioned to a deployed position. The latch mechanism includes a release button, a push rod, a latch plate, a latch spring and a set of guide pins. The sidestep assembly further includes a spring deployment mechanism having an elongated tube with a spring positioned therein. The spring acts to rotate the step once the latch mechanism has been released, thus allowing the step to rotate out into a useable position for the user to stand on and to access a toolbox. A support tube assembly is part of the running board of the vehicle and includes a mounting bracket that secures the elongated tube in place relative to the running board. This allows the step mechanism to pivot relative to the elongated tube, between a stowed position and a deployed position.
The step assembly can be easily deployed by depressing the release button, thus allowing the step to rotate outward automatically to a deployed position where a mechanism stop locks it in place. After the user is done using the step, the step can be rotated via hand or foot means to rotate the step to the stowed position, where it automatically locks in place.